The mechanisms by which bradykinin is active, are only incompletely known, but probably there are several different receptors on the various target organs. Some of the effects of BK can probably also be mediated by the release of other active compounds, such as prostaglandines.
BQ is probably involved in a number of different diseases, e.g. in inflammatory processes, shock by various causes, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, pancreatitis, carcinoid, migraine, hereditary angioneurotic oedema, burns, allergies.
It is probable that treatment with a suitable antagonist against BK would be advantageous for diseases in which the BK level is increased.
For many years scientists have searched for specific inhibitors of BK, however, without success in spite of the fact that a very large number of fragments and analogs of BK have been synthetized.